There are many factors that a golfer must consider when determining which club to use for a shot; lie of the ball, wind direction, objects or hazards that should be cleared, and, oh yeah, distance to the intended spot.
There was a time when a good caddie could tell you all of that information. With the many ways we have now of giving us distance to the green or a lay up area, you’d think figuring out distance wouldn’t be a problem. We have markers at 150 or 100 yards, and usually sprinkler heads marked with the distance to the center of the green. We also have new-fangled GPS devices, such as the Sky Caddie or scopes made by Bushnell or others. Many people are using these range-finding devices on the golf course, particularly as more and more courses become “Sky Courses,” meaning all of their GPS information is available to a Sky Caddie user.
There are two questions about the use of such range finders: 1. How accurate are they? 2. are they legal under USGA and R&A; rules?
As to accuracy, most people are perfectly satisfied with the accuracy of their artificial range finding devices. I think they believe that since they are the newest technology they must be right! The newest models can measure up to 40 different targets per hole, which can be just as useful as asking ‘Old Sam MacGregor what club you’d need to clear that wee burn up ahead (small creek in Scottish caddy language).
Even the older devices gave you distances to the front, middle and back of the greens. If, however, you’re standing by a sprinkler head that tells you it’s 125 yards to the middle of the green, and your GPS device says it’s 130, I’d believe the sprinkler head in most cases. They were made by a professional surveyor, and a GPS device can be affected by clouds, sun spots, or satellite location.
They are though, for the most part, reliable and quick. I believe their biggest advantage is the time they save the typical golfer from hunting down a sprinkler head, stepping off distance, taking into effect wind, temperature, amount of roll the ball will take, and finally making a club selection. For a practice round, particularly at an unfamiliar course, they are a great time saver.
Are range finders legal to be used though, under USGA and R&A; Rules? Rule 14-3b in The Rules of Golf, states, “Except as provided in the Rules, during a stipulated round the player must not use any artificial device or unusual equipment: b. For the purpose of gauging or measuring distance or conditions that might affect his play … ” Therefore range finders are not legal for tournament play unless their use is covered by a local rule, which must be stated in the rules of the tournament before play. (The exact language is given in the Decisions On the Rules of Golf .) A breach of rule 14-3 is disqualification, so it would be wise to make certain that a range finder is covered under a local rule before using one in a tournament.
There was a time when golfers didn’t have any artificial markers to help them estimate distance. When the U.S. Open was held at Colonial in 1941, they removed any trees that were at 150 yards. Harvey Penick noticed this, and because he was thinking of planting trees at the Austin Country Club, he asked the USGA about it. The USGA wrote back and told him 150-yard markers weren’t illegal, but that no USGA tournament would be played where they were used! (Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book, Simon & Schuster, 1992, pg. 150)
Ben Hogan would have scoffed at the use of a range finder. He could estimate distances so well, he didn’t need one. Also according to Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book, one time Ben looked at a score card for distance on a par-three during a filming of Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf. The card said the distance was 152 yards to the center of the green. Ben proclaimed the card to be wrong stating that “It’s 148 yards to the middle.” It was measured, and Ben was right!
Maybe if we all practiced for hours on end like Ben Hogan used to we wouldn’t need measuring devices. On the other hand, most pros don’t practice that much, much less amateurs, so for today’s player, technology is a wonderful thing.
te of the day: “Golf is not, on the whole, a game for realists. By its exactitudes of measurement it invites the attention of perfectionists.” — Heywood Hale Brown, writer
Vigo County Golf Leagues
Ft. Harrison Ladies 9-hole — Low gross: Mary Shake. Low net: Lucille Merrill. Low putts: Mary Silvers. Play of the day: Lucy James. Chip-ins: Mona Herrington, Silvers, Carolyn Sweeting.
Rea Park First Financial Bank Ladies 9-hole — Standings: Bratt 48, VFW No. 1 and VFW No. 2 32, Shepard’s Gas and Baesler’s Market 28, Tabco 12. Low gross: Barb Kelley. Low net: Anne Foster. Chip-in: Hoy (2), DeLauter (7), Stone, Handley (8), Kelley (9). Play of the day: Piepenbrink.
Paitson’s Roofing Eastside Ladies — Standings: Daphne’s Beauty Salon 55, Baesler’s Market 54, Coaches Corner 51, Advanced Chiropractic 48, Turner Coach 32, Deckmasters 29, Sandy’s Touch of Magic 26, Page’s Market 25. Low gross: Ann Sanders 41. Low net: Karen Cox 26. Play of the day: Cox.
Mark’s Par Three Senior Men — Standings: Don Mattingly Collision 67, Old National Trust 58, Tabco 52, Dew Drop Inn 50, Vigo Bowl 38, Don Wills Cash Register 36, Fuson Cadillac 31, Midwest Gas 30. Low gross: Bill Turner and Herb Gosnell 41. Low net: Gosnell and Bill Morley 33. Closest to pin: Herb Schaffer (12). Longest drive: Schaffer (18). Longest putt: Bob Stiller (17).
Idle Creek Home Builders — Low gross: Terry Day 41, Brian Cottom 43, Jim Panky 44. Low net: Len Isles 28, Jim Lowe 32, Dave Earley 33, Gary Stout 33. Longest drive: Fred Lamb (No. 11). Longest putt: Isles (No. 18). Closest to pin: Stout (No. 12).
Ladies Tuesday Morning — Low gross: Mary Brannen, Jane Anderson, Carolyn Taylor 43. Longest putt: Taylor (No. 9).
Terre Haute Savings Bank Men’s Senior — National Division: Fore Seasons Golf Complex 112, Complete Kitchen & Bath 92, Lough Brothers 89, Terre Haute Savings Bank 86, SMC 84, Paitson Brothers 84, Page’s Market No. 1 73, Pizza Hut 54. Low gross: Larry Pair 40, Frank Hoffman 40. Low net: Pair 35, Hoffman 35, Bob Johnson 35. American Division: Poplar Flower Shop 117, Page’s Market No. 2 114, Salt of the Earth 94, VFW No. 972 93, Pabst Painting 88, Spring Clean Car Wash 79, Gurman Containers 66, Callahan Funeral Home 44. Low gross: Alex Maxwell 40. Low net: Maxwell 29.
Upcoming event
• The Terre Haute Women’s Golf Association’s first event of the year will be a Partner Scramble, on Saturday, May 17th at Rea Park. For more information call Candy McCord at (812) 230-1090 or visit the THWGA Web site at www.terrehautewomensgolf.com
On & Off the Course
On & Off the Course: Distance devices have a place for golfers but old-fashioned practice is best
- On & Off the Course
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Death Notice: Feb. 7, 2013
• Gary R. Wright
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Donna Lynn Strahla Bown
Donna Lynn Strahla Bown passed away early Friday morning, Jan. 25, 2013, with her children by her side.
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‘The Match’ pitting amateurs vs. pros recalled 62 years later
Quote of the Day: “I play golf with friends sometimes, but there are never friendly games.” — Ben Hogan.
Bubba Watson has had a busy fall. Not only did he play all the way to the final round of the FedEx Championships, and in the Ryder Cup, he also played in an event commemorating a very famous match played at Cypress Point in 1956, pitting two of the greatest golf pros at the time against two of the best amateurs.
Come to think of it, all four were some of the best golfers of all time. This year’s event was celebrating The First Tee’s exceeding $100 million in pledges to reach 10 million new young people. It wasn’t televised and kept very quiet; only 225 people were in the gallery.
One of the people in the gallery was Mark Frost, the author of a book titled “The Match,” which is about that match played 62 years ago that was re-enacted in modern terms last week. The pros in 1956 were Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson and the amateurs were Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward. It was supposed to have been a private affair, built around a wager by two millionaires, George Coleman and Eddie Lowery. -
ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Golf from the wrong side of the brain
Imagine this scenario: a woman, small in stature (possibly freckled), walks into a hospital emergency room and says, “I have an emergency, I need a doctor quickly!” The admitting nurse, ever trying to be helpful, asks what the emergency is.
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Farmers looking at widely varying yields
Combines will roll through fields this weekend, bringing in the harvest from a summer with nearly no rain.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Golf debut in London would have been nice
As the Olympics get underway in London this weekend, I was thinking it’s too bad that the Olympic committee decided too late to add golf as one of the sports for this event; instead it will be added to the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Getting to Hoosier country’s best golfing venue part of the fun
If you are looking for Indiana’s premier golfing destination, then you should look no further than French Lick.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Indiana's Pete Dye courses worth the drive
You’ve probably heard of the Robert Trent Jones Golf trail throughout Alabama, but you might not be aware that Indiana has its own “Pete Dye Golf Trail” comprised of seven courses.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Fathers typically a big influence on golfing sons
Some events fall naturally into place around holidays. The Fourth of July always falls somewhere during Wimbledon, giving all of the Yanks in attendance something to be boisterous about, to the chagrin of their hosts; The Masters often, but not always, ends on Easter Sunday, which is fitting since golfers find it such a reverent occasion.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Memorial just one of many visions of Jack Nicklaus
When Jack Nicklaus was a young man, the golfer he most admired was Bob Jones.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: With some tricky rules, golf is not a walk in the park
Golf is not a casual sport, even though it has a term called “casual water.”
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On and off the course: Sycamores seeded sixth heading into MVC golf tourney
It wasn’t too long ago that Indiana State University didn’t even have a women’s golf team.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: A hard ticket to come by
This is the weekend of the Masters Tournament, the first of the four major tournaments.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Some things on golf course are worse than steep putts
It’s not often that anything gets more scary on a golf course than a steep downhill putt, but on some courses around the world, things a little more on the supernatural side might give you a bigger fright!
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: The shot heard round the world
I don’t know if the Golf Channel will show a “Best Shots of 2011” highlight reel, much like ESPN does for baseball or football.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: The Red, White and Blue visits the Isle of Green
In 2006, the Ryder Cup was held in Ireland at The K Club in County Kildare.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Fall may be coming but golf season is far from over
Once the major tournaments are over with, what’s there to look forward to in the world of golf?
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Golf… simplified!
Golf is not a simple game. A golf course is made up of 18 holes, all different. There are par-3s, par-4s and par-5s; they all vary in length and elevation, and each has its own challenges. There can be water hazards, trees, sand bunkers, tall grass, hills, valleys — and then, if that’s not enough, there’s probably wind too.
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On and Off the Course: Northern Ireland builds on golf history
Northern Ireland is only about 5,452 square miles in area and has a population about the same as West Virginia, which is about 1,880,344.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Women’s Open at the Broadmoor
This is the weekend of the U.S. Women’s Open, and this year it’s being played at The Broadmoor, East Course, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: The Fort Golf Course: A Walk in the Park…
Indiana has some pretty spectacular state parks, but one of them gives you the ability to “spoil a good walk” by chasing a little white ball.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Father’s Day is a good day for golfers
Most people consider the time around Christmas to be the gift-buying season.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Playing with lead a difficult task
As exciting as last week’s Masters was, with six players being tied for the lead at one point on Sunday, it was very difficult watching Rory McIlroy fall apart to shoot an 80.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Masters a rite of spring
This is Masters weekend, the grand kickoff to the golf season for a lot of golfers. Sure, there have been tournaments on TV, because the professionals have been playing in Hawaii, California, Texas, Dubai, and other areas not so affected by winter as we are here in the Midwest, but to me, watching The Masters is a rite of spring.
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ON THE OFF THE COURSE: Some history on the Ryder Cup
I fell asleep in way too many history classes to ever qualify as a history buff. However, since I have grown up a bit (not much), I enjoy learning about all kinds of history. I often have questions about how something began, or how something came to be.
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On and Off the Course: Purdue's Kampen Course a gem in Indiana's rough
About a month ago, Indiana was still heavily mired in heat and humidity, making outdoor activities such as golf less appealing than usual. At that time it felt like the repressive heat would never go away, it would never rain again, and all of the grass was just going to continue to wither and die. And the month prior to that we kept getting rained out of golf events!
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On and Off the Course: Successful golfers know ... focus is the key
I have a good friend who coached his daughter’s basketball team for a number of years, and told me that his theme with the girls was always “focus”, until it was ingrained in their brains. Now when they play high school ball, if they hear “focus” yelled from the stands, they know the source.
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On and Off the Course: Technology adds even more fun to the course
You’ve hit a drive into some brush in an area marked as a hazard, but you can’t find the ball to prove it is there. And no one actually witnessed it go in the hazard. You just think that’s where it probably is. What is the rule for this situation?
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On and Off the Course: Anthony Gonzalez First Tee Classic a worthwhile charity event
On Monday, I worked as a volunteer for the Anthony Gonzalez First Tee Classic, Golf Tournament and Auction at Eagle Creek Golf Course in Indianapolis. It was an absolutely beautiful day, with clear blue skies, just a few wispy clouds here and there and a high temperature of about 76 degrees.
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On and Off the Course: Trends show golf in decline
You don’t have to watch the news or read the paper to understand that America is struggling on the economic front. The evidence can be witnessed at the local golf course.
- More On & Off the Course Headlines
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Death Notice: Feb. 7, 2013
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Hunt for Ex-Teamster Boss Hoffa's Remains Ends
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Car Crash in NYC's East Village Injures 8
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Ohio Woman Accuses 3 of Holding Her Captive
Raw: Arizona Wildfire Scorches 8 Square Miles
Obama Renews Call for Nuclear Reductions
Ex-NFL Star Chad Johnson Out of Jail
Aug. Trial Set for Ohio Man in Triple Kidnapping
Hoffa Mystery Still Fascinates After 4 Decades
Time Lapse: Rebuilding Bridge Post-collapse
Obama: 'Lives Have Been Saved' by NSA Programs
Failed Cuba-to-Florida Swimmer Won't Try Again
Rain Damages Brazil Soccer Stadium
Raw: German President Welcomes President Obama
James Gandolfini Dies at Age 51
Paula Deen Admits to Using N Word
Rihanna Hits Fan With Microphone
Men's Wearhouse Founder Fired
Miss Utah Explains Rambling Response
Exclusive: Locklear & Seymour Lock Lips
Miami Heat Wins in Overtime
Fists, chairs fly in restaurant brawl
Journalist Michael Hastings Dies in Fiery Hollywood Crash
Hairy Leg Stockings Aim to Deflect Male Attention
Inside Kim Kardashian's Premature Labor
Three Charged for Enslaving Mother and Daughter
Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park
Spurs' Popovich has no problem with Spurs' intensity
RAW: NSA Director Says 50 Plots Foiled
Paige Butcher Scorches on Hawaii Beach
Video: worst way to load cargo onto a plane
Never-before-seen footage of '08 Times Square bomber
